Sioux Falls Dive Bar Tour: The Thirsty Duck Bar and Grill

We're searching the Sioux Empire for the diviest dive bars. We've been to the Top Hat, the Silver Moon, the Bar Code, the Gaslight - just to name a few. Fourteen total. Our latest stop...the Thirsty Duck Bar and Grill.

The Sioux Empire has a dive bar in nearly every corner of the city. A bar with great happy hour specials, lots of regulars, dim lighting, and in most cases, really good food - something you might not expect at a dive bar.

I've been to the Thirsty Duck several times to watch some of my favorite local bands, but I don't recall ever ordering food. This time, we ordered dinner. Wow! The Thirsty Duck serves some of the best food I've ever had at a dive bar. My friend Dusti had the shrimp basket. I had a chicken strip basket that came with fries and toast. My friend Yvonne had chicken fettuccine alfredo. That dish could go up against an Italian restaurant. The alfredo sauce had a great flavor.

The popcorn is free and so is the live music on most weekends. There are several pool tables if you get bored.

From the outside, this doesn't exactly look like your text book dive bar, but on the inside, most of the elements of being a dive bar are there. The atmosphere is typical "dive bar." Neon beer signs light up the dark space. The most decorative aspect of the Duck are the colorful bottles of liquor lined up behind the bar. It's a great bar if you like to "people watch."